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Marsha Tufft

[STEM] the magic in nature

Published about 1 year ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

I have always loved butterflies...

My third grade teacher introduced my family to butterflies (she was also my sister's third grade teacher, and my sister is 6 years older than me, which means I had an even earlier start!)

If you've ready any of my Putney Hicks Inventor Adventures books (okay, except for the prequel, which is Sam's story), butterflies play a central role, peaking in book 3, Project First Flight.

I've always felt the magic in nature through butterflies.

Then I had the opportunity to raise and observe 8 monarch caterpillars to adult butterfly while working on my Ph.D.

I thought I knew butterflies. But suddenly, I saw them through the eyes of an engineer. What I found was even more amazing!

Written as an engineering spec, this describes a butterfly:

  • Vertical take-off and landing organic transport
  • Differentially stiff and deformable wing structures
  • Use unsteady aero-based lift and propulsion
  • Fueled by renewable energy sources
  • Made with ambient technology

Wings:

  • Use proprietary rapid polymerization process
  • Expand >300% in 5-6 minutes
  • Are fully hardened and flight-ready in 1-3 hours
    ​

So anytime you need a little inspiration—or a little magic in your life—take a look around you in nature. It’s waiting to be discovered.

This is one of my favorite Curly Girl cards (available at ArtWare on Hilton Head Island, and through calypsocards.com online). The artist, Leigh Standley, has amazing insight, vision, and voice. Her cards resonate with me.

So... look for the magic around you. It's just around the corner. Today, it was in a group of 3 young deer that we met on the path to the beach.

What will tomorrow bring you?

Cheers!

Marsha & Mooney
Award-winning author / engineer & problem-solver
​

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Marsha Tufft

Unleash your inner inventor!

Making STEM accessible and fun: Changing attitudes about STEM through story; Building problem-solving skills through experiments. I’m an award-winning author & engineer. https://marshatufft.com – books, https://putneydesigns.com – STEM

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